World's End

Chapter Twenty One

They were being followed and they didn't know what it was but it was a terrifying feeling to know that you were being followed by something that you didn't know about.

Daniel led them through the next zone without incident, having committed to memory where the zone after the spiderwomans one was. But without the map, they were now blind to what zones they were walking into.

But that wouldn't stop them.

Nor would it stop the sense that they were being followed.

Ellie Rae could tell there was something wrong with her friends as they walked through another part of town. They were walking through a parking lot and she could see that there was something very wrong with her friends. And it started the moment that damn spider thing attacked them.

Despite having been in a car crash, suffering concussions and bloody lips, they were all far better off than anyone would ever be. Ellie Rae included herself in that but only because she had been held in place by Lincoln and Daniel, the latter of whom she was currently walking beside. He seemed normal enough at the moment, just sullen and mildly depressed. He lost the map, he felt like he had failed them. Ellie Rae looked over at Marissa who was walking beside Jax and Lincoln, her arms swinging as she walked. Ellie Rae couldn't remember the last time she had seen Marissa cry. It made her worried, seeing Marissa's feelings so close to the surface. She had changed since they had left home.

They had all changed. Ellie Rae couldn't figure out if it was for better or worse but she felt like Marissa was turning into a different person and that she was being left behind to deal with the rest of it. And although she tried not to let it hurt, she tried to not let jealousy take her over, it crept behind her like a shadow, always with her but always a few steps away from her.

Ellie Rae sighed. People change, she reminded herself. And this was for the better. Marissa had been more open to talking to people that weren't Ellie Rae. The fact that she had even allowed Lincoln to hug her and she had turned to him to cry and shocked her. And she hadn't even shot him since that one time that was an accident.

"What are you thinking about?" Daniel's voice broke through her thoughts. She looked at him and sighed. She tucked a loose strand of her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear.

"I just.. I worry." Daniel looked at her kindly and nodded.

"About your friends?"

"Yeah. But mostly Mar. I don't know but she's just... Changed." Daniel nodded his head and shoved his hands in his pocket. He looked over at where the three of them were walking and as they turned a corner.

"Change isn't bad, y'know. Maybe she's just growing into herself." Ellie Rae gave a light laugh and smiled.

"Maybe. She just hasn't been the same since we left home. And I wonder if leaving was the right thing to do.' Daniel gave her a small smile and pulled his hand out of his pocket to grab a hold of hers. Ellie Rae tried to ignore the butterflies that fluttered in her chest but couldn't stop the small blush that crept up her neck. She looked away from him and back at the road ahead of them. They could see the group again, having now also rounded the corner. Marissa looked like she was saying something and Jax laughed. He pointed to something and they nodded. Ellie Rae just watched them as Daniel held her hand. It was comforting.

"They shouldn't be alive, you know." Daniel said out of the blue. Ellie Rae stopped walking and he pulled at her hand, not realizing she had stopped. He turned to look at her, confused. "What?"

"What do you mean? They shouldn't be alive, how can you say that?" Daniel shook his head and came to a stop in front of her and grabbed her other hand.

"Ellie, that.. No, that's not what I meant. I mean they literally should have died when the car crashed." Ellie Rae looked at him, disgust on her face. Daniel groaned. "Marissa and Jax should have died. Or their legs should have been broken and they shouldn't be walking around right now. The fact that they are in near perfect condition is no mean feat." Ellie Rae's look of disgust morphed into one of confusion. He was right to her surprise. She looked ahead to where the three of them were.

"You're right." She said quietly, looking back at him. "You're totally right. But how?" Daniel moved his mouth but he made no sound. Ellie Rae looked at them again. Not even a limp. Marissa hadn't complained of any dizziness when she should have an even worse concussion than before.

"I don't know but something is weird about them. I don't know what though." He smiled at her.

"What about me?" She asked, concerned. Daniel shook his head and cupped her face with his hand.

"You still seem like you. And I like it that way." Ellie Rae smiled and her face warmed more to his touch. "Come on. The suns setting and we need to get some rest." She nodded and kept a tight grip on his hand and they walked towards the three. Daniel whistled at them to get their attention. Ellie Rae thought that maybe they hadn't heard him because of how far they were but Jax turned around and was walking backwards, facing them. Ellie Rae waved at him and he waved back before coming to a stop. Marissa and Lincoln stopped when they noticed he had. Ellie Rae saw Marissa turn to face them, her face calm and the puffiness having gone down after crying. Ellie Rae let go of Daniels hand when they got close enough and she broke into a jog to catch up. Marissa smiled at her.

"You whistled?" Ellie Rae laughed.

"You know that wasn't me. I can't whistle to save my life." Marissa rolled her eyes and looped her arm through Ellie Rae's and looked up.

"Dang, I thought all those years of trying to teach you finally amounted to something." Ellie Rae bumped her hip against Marissa's.

"You wish." She nodded.

"I do. Would have been so much more useful. I could've gotten dog." Lincoln gave her a confused look. "Well, Ellie Rae would have been able to whistle for it to come back when I wasn't there. But she can't whistle so it's what always put me off." Lincoln laughed.

"What would you even name a dog?"

"Banjo. And the I would get a whole heap of them and have a whole band of musically named animals." Ellie Rae looked at them and nodded.

"She would. She tried. I said no."

"You kept bringing in random animals into the house, at least a dog would have been useful." Daniel finally came to a stop by them. They looked to him. "I take it you whistled?" He nodded.

"We need to find a place to sleep." Jax shook his head.

"Nah bro, we can't risk it. This place.."

"We need to sleep."

"This place isn't safe." Jax repeated, puffing himself to his full height. Ellie Rae put a hand on Daniel's arm as he also puffed up his chest. She looked at Marissa, eyes wide. Marissa was looking between the two of them and shook her head. Lincoln looked about ready to step between the two men if someone threw a punch.

"Guys, this isn't the place nor the time to argue." Jax looked at Marissa. "Look he's right, we need to sleep."

"Mar, you just said that you're sure we're being followed and now you want to sleep?" Marissa frowned at Jax.

"Dude, you need to chill." Lincoln chimed in. Jax scowled.

"Don't do that. Don't stick your nose in you coward." Jax spat. Ellie Rae felt Marissa's arm slip out of hers and she watched as Marissa, quick as a dart, lashed out and Jax crumpled to the ground, unconscious. They all stood there, staring at Jax. Then they looked at Marissa as she tucked her hair behind her ears.

"What? We weren't going to get anywhere with him. If he's unconscious, he can't argue." Lincoln looked down at her and breathed out heavily through his nose.

"I guess I'm going to have to carry him?"

"Yes please." And that was the last thing anyone said until the next day.